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The effect of online mindfulness training on connectedness to oneself, to others and to nature in students.

Petra Jansen, Sabine Hoja, Lea Cassar, Tim‐Michael Neu

Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being April 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.70137 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Sample size 173
Population University students
Intervention Online mindfulness training
Duration 8-week training
Topics Meditation
Keywords Humans Stress, psychological Empathy Self concept Interpersonal relations Students Universities Female Young adult Psychological well-being Subjective stress Mental health Flourishing Inner transformative qualities
Key findings Online mindfulness training significantly improved state mindfulness, connectedness to nature, and self-compassion compared with a waiting-list control, but did not significantly improve stress reduction, flourishing, or prosociality. Improvements in self-compassion and mindfulness predicted 35.7% and 33.9% of the reduction in perceived stress and improvement in flourishing, respectively.

Abstract

These days, students experience a significant amount of stress at university. According to the planetary health concept, internal transformative qualities, such as connectedness, may be essential for enhancing individual well-being and promoting sustainable behaviour. This randomised controlled study investigated whether online mindfulness training can enhance well-being and connectedness. One hundred seventy-three students completed measurements of stress reduction, flourishing, state mindfulness, self-compassion, prosociality and connectedness to nature before and after the 8-week training or the waiting time. The analyses of variances showed a significant improvement in mindfulness (F[1, 170] = 5.116, p < .05, partial η2 = .029), connectedness to nature (F[1, 171] = 6.838, p < .05, partial η2 = .038) and self-compassion (F[1, 171] = 11.019, p < .01, partial η2 = .061) in the mindfulness group compared to the control group but not in the other dependent measurements. Furthermore, the improvement in self-compassion and mindfulness from the pretest to the posttest predicted 35.7% and 33.9%, respectively, of the reduction in perceived stress and improvement in flourishing. Since the mindfulness training only improved some aspects of transformative qualities, it is necessary to investigate the moderators of the relation between mindfulness, internal transformative qualities and sustainable behaviour and attitudes in greater depth.

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment 2003 Randomized controlled trial n = 41
Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients 2000 Randomized controlled trial n = 145
Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults 2008 Randomized controlled trial n = 139
Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students 2007 Randomized controlled trial n = 40
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients 2004 Randomized controlled trial n = 73

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